unevenness; variation; inconsistency
General term for lack of uniformity in quality, size, performance, etc. Often used in manufacturing, testing, and everyday descriptions.
製品の品質にばらつきがある。
There is variation in the quality of the products.
There was unevenness in the test scores.
dispersion; scatter; spread; variability
Statistical term for the spread or dispersion of data points. Used in technical contexts.
データのばらつきを標準偏差で評価する。
Evaluate the dispersion of the data using standard deviation.
Most common spelling in modern usage.
Katakana spelling, often used in technical or business contexts.
Mixed kanji-katakana spelling, less common but seen.
Derived from the verb ばらつく (to be scattered, to be uneven), which itself comes from the mimetic root ばら (scattered, loose). The nominalized form ばらつき is used as a noun.